HARRIS HOWEY, M.D.

View Portrait of Harris Howey, M.D.
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         Dr. Harris Howey, deceased, was for many years one of the most honored and highly esteemed citizens of Wapello, where he made his home for almost seven decades, and throughout his active professional career enjoyed an extensive and lucrative practice. His birth occurred in Canandaigua, New York, on the 3d of May, 1817, his parents being Thomas and Lodema (Harris) Howey. On the maternal side, his ancestors came from England to the new world in 1647 with the Plymouth Pilgrims and located in New London, Connecticut, but subsequently removed to New York, taking up their abode on the Susquehanna river. The Doctor’s father was born in the north of Ireland and on coming to America located in Coldwater, Michigan, where he worked at the blacksmith’s trade. About the year 1776 he removed to Ohio and from there to Canandaigua, New York, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of timber land. He cleared and improved his property and in connection with farming conducted a blacksmith shop. His wife was an expert weaver and wove most of the cloth for her bed clothes, clothing, etc. She died in New York in 1833 and the father passed away in 1838 at Columbus, Ohio, where he was then making his home. In their family were twelve children, seven sons and five daughters, all of whom are now deceased, and of whom our subject was the seventh, in order of birth.

         Dr. Harris Howey passed his boyhood in his native state, procuring the best education obtainable in the public schools. When a youth of fifteen he began earning his own livelihood, clerking in a dry goods store for one year. On the expiration of that period he took up the study of medicine and was graduated from the Geneva Medical College, at Geneva, New York, with the class of 1837. During the years 1845 and 1846 he also attended the St. Louis Medical College, of which institution he was likewise a graduate. He began practice at Coldwater, Michigan, but remained there only a short time and on the 16th of December, 1839, took up his residence in New Boston, Illinois, where he taught school for two months. He then turned his attention to the practice of medicine and rode . . .

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. . . over the country night and day, covering a large territory in the discharge of his professional duties. Finding that his practice was principally on the west side of the Mississippi river, he removed to Wapello, Iowa, in the spring of 1841, becoming a pioneer physician of Louisa county where he rapidly built up an extensive practice, to which he devoted himself for the greater part of twenty-two years.

         Dr. Howey was first married in New Boston, Illinois, in 1840 to Miss Susan Dellabarr, who died in less than two years, and their only child, a daughter, died at the age of eight years. The Doctor was again married March 24, 1844, his second union being with Miss Sarah J. Marshall, a native of Wellsburg, West Virginia, who came to Iowa in 1840 with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Marshall, early and prominent pioneers of Louisa county. She died November 29, 1880. The children born to them were: Mrs. Virginia Ingersoll, now a resident of Clarksville, Missouri; Thomas, deceased, whose wife and daughter reside in Chicago; Frank, a resident of Lemmon, South Dakota; and Charles of St. Louis, Missouri.

         In 1851, during the gold excitement on the Pacific coast, Dr. Howey went overland by ox team to California, being away from Iowa about one year and returning by way of the Isthmus of Panama and Cuba. On his return trip he became quite familiar with the institution of slavery and was greatly impressed by the wrongs surrounding it, and his heart was enlisted for its suppression. Answering to his country’s call, he was commissioned surgeon of the Twentieth Iowa volunteer Infantry on the 17th of August, 1863, and did active and efficient service with his regiment until March, 1865, when he was forced to resign on account of physical disabilities. He then returned to Wapello, incapacitated by continued ill health for pursuing the practice of his chosen profession. In 1865 he was appointed examining surgeon for pension applicants and held that position for several years. In 1870 he removed to a farm in Marshall township where he engaged in farming for several years. He was appointed United States gauger in 1873 and served until the following year, when he removed from his farm to Wapello and there engaged in the drug business until his retirement from active life. With the exception of ten years, while living in Burlington, Iowa, he continued a resident of Wapello until his death, which occurred May 13, 1911, when he had reached the advanced age of ninety-four years and ten days.

         On the 15th of March, 1883, Dr. Howey was united in marriage to Miss Lida McMahill, to whom he was greatly attached, and during the whole of their married life they were never separated even for a single night. They became the parents of one daughter, Sadie Lodema, who was born May 19, 1891, and died on the 29th of the following August. Mrs. Howey is one of the most highly esteemed ladies of the county, is very intellectual, possesses a fine memory, and is a good writer.

         William McMahill, the father of Mrs. Howey, was born in Lexington, Kentucky, June 22, 1824, and was married in Pike county, Illinois, in 1847, to Miss Mary Walker, who was born in St. Louis, Missouri, August 24, 1825 and . . .

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. . . whose father belonged to the nobility of Scotland. After his marriage Mr. McMahill engaged in farming in Pike county, Illinois, until 1855, when he removed to the northern part of that state and in 1860 came to Louisa county, Iowa, here buying two hundred and fifty acres of land, to the cultivation and improvement of which he devoted his energies throughout the remainder of his life. He died on the 22nd of April, 1904, and his widow, who will be eighty-four years of age in August, 1911, now resides in Wapello. In politics he was a Republican, and being one of the leading men of his community, was called upon to serve as county supervisor, school director, and in other local offices. He was a member of the Christian church and was also identified with the Grange. In his family were eight children, four sons and four daughters, namely: James, now a resident of Moberly, Missouri; Erastus, living in Louisa county, Iowa; Mahala, the wife of Asa Knight, of Wapello; Mrs. Howey; Minnie, the wife of Lou Hart, of Wapello; John, of Louisa county; Anna, the wife of Lee Bishop, of Muscatine, Iowa; and William, also of Wapello.

         Dr. Howey cast his first vote for Harrison and Tyler, the whig candidates, and later became identified with the Republican party. Fraternally he was connected with the Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while in religious beliefs he was a Methodist. During his last years he was unable to take an active part in public affairs, but was always glad to meet his old friends and talk over old times. He often recalled the erection of the first Methodist church in Wapello, a brick structure which for many years served as a house of worship. For over six years before his death he was the oldest resident of Wapello and was the only living war physician and surgeon within the borders of Louisa county. For several years his birthday was made the occasion for the gathering of a number of his friends, where kind commemorative words were spoken in his honor and gifts were presented to him as tokens of esteem. He was a man of strong personality, enduring vitality and positive opinions, but warm and generous-hearted. Whatever mistakes he may have made in life he would have gladly corrected them all, desiring to go out of the world wholly at peace with all men and with God.